Race tradition continues in Caribou with Viking Run

Greater Houlton Christian runs well in competition
    With one race left in this season’s Aroostook Musterds County Challenge Road Race Series, many age group winners are yet to emerge. Monday’s Caribou Labor Day Road Race will solidify final spots before awards are presented at the annual Musterds gathering to be held at the Nordic Heritage Sports Club Oct. 17.
NICE PACE — Micah Wiley, GHCA, 20:55 (third place)
    Registration for the Labor Day race will take place in the ski building at Caribou High School at 8:30 a.m. The 5K walk will begin at 10:30 a.m. and the 8K run at 11 a.m.
    The annual Aroostook Saving and Loan Viking Run will be held at the Caribou High School track that morning at 9 a.m. Registration for the 10 different children’s races begins at 8:15 a.m.  Runners from age 2 through the eighth grade are encouraged to attend. Pre-K and kindergarten runners compete in a  quarter-mile run. The first, second, third and four graders run a half mile. The fifth, sixth, seventh and eight graders run one mile.
    There will be trophies for the top three male and female finishers in each race. Ribbons and T-shirts will be awarded to all the young athletes who take part.
    Highlighting the challenge series, on the women’s side, Susan Plissey will not be caught as the overall series leader with 61 points. She is followed by Michelle Roy (38) and Angela Ewings (33). Age group leaders are: 14 and under: Bonnie Corey (19), Jordan Coiley (18) and Alexis Coiley(17); 15-18: Kelly Kashian (34), Alicia Palmer (20) and Danni Anderson, Jessica Caron, and Lauren Hodge tied for third (11); 19-29: Plissey (64), Nicole Porter (32), and Marie Strouse (20); 30-39: Michelle Roy (53), Lindsey Perry (13), Rene Gorneault and Samantha McTouch tied for third (11); 40-49: Linda Mountain (49), Kimberly Wright (45), and Angela Ewings (44);  50-59: Connie McLellan (39), Brenda Tree (19) and Wendy Lewis and Cindy Patten tied for third (9); 60 and over: Ruth Hare and Lynn Soucy tied for first (11).
READY TO GO — Greater Houlton Christian Academy runners Russell Socoby, left, and Micah Wiley get ready to take off from the start at last Tuesday’s high school cross country meet in Washburn. Wiley finished third in 20 minutes and 55 seconds and Socoby ended up seventh in 22:57.
    In the men’s division Thomas Beckum has an insurmountable lead at 54 points. In second place is P.J. Gorneault with 31 and in third is Al Hanscom at 27. In the 14 and under grouping Trevor Levesque leads with 54 and is followed by Dillon Beckum at 44. Other age group leaders are: 15-19: Tim Freme (31), Jake Michaud (26), Christian Sleeper (20); 20-29: Brian Powers(35), Evan Graves (22), Jordan Powers (15);  30-39: Thomas Beckum (58), Al Hanscom (34), P.J. Gorneault (33); 40-49: Joe Ewings (37), Rob Langner (36), Jeff Ashby (22); 50-59: Leo Kashian (58), Brent Jepson (35), Roy Alden and David Bates tied for third (22); 60-69: Waldo Libby (31), Don Zillman (23), Larry Tonzi (22); 70 and over: Art Thompson (22) and Joe Beasley (9).
    This year’s Labor Day race will mark the completion of the 28th County Challenge Series. The inaugural season in 1983 saw five races in the series taking place in Fort Kent, Caribou, Fort Fairfield, Houlton and Presque Isle. Aroostook Musterd’s patriarch Conrad Walton won that 1983 series, on a tie breaker with Rusty Taylor, as did Emily Higgins for the women.
    ON THE RUN — Russell Socoby, GHCA, 22:57 (seventh place)
    The tradition of awarding overall and age group winners will continue at Nordic Heritage in October.  Participation awards will also be presented as will the annual Aroostook Runner of the Year Award, won last year by Marie Strouse.